Gone
by livvy3000
Summary: Clare Edwards, famous, rich, kidnapped. Eli Goldworthy, invisible, intellegent, searching.
1. Introduction

**Sorry, a prologue was necessary, because I have changed a lot of things - Fair Warning =)**

**This is not exactly similar to my other stories, but hopefully everyone will like this. **

**The movie SALT, starring Angelina Jolie, has a scene that inspired this one-shot. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. I do not own SALT (if only I were that brilliant). Also, this one shot will not be exactly like it, just similar. The scene I am basing it off of is the one at the very beginning of the movie.

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•••••

_Clare_ _Edwards_, daughter of a millionaire, was notoriously known for her exclusive parties, excessive shopping, and skimpy attire in the tabloids. Grew up in Los Angeles, left the second she could. Shocked the world when she was accepted into Brown, although many insisted it was because of who her father was. Chose to major in English. Requested a single room at her dorm. Wish was granted, moved in towards the end of August.

_Eli Goldsworthy, _self-proclaimed nobody, had never quite gotten over the recent death of his girlfriend, Julia. A Toronto native, who needed to get away from his old life. Earned himself a scholarship to Brown University. Decided to major in English. Moved into his dorm on August 28th, where he met his new roommate, Adam.

Two people, different, to say the least, destined to meet? Only if one believed in fate. For the sake of this story, let's pretend we do, because interesting things occur when opposites attract.

•••••

* * *

**Sorry, unbelievably short, I know. I wanted all of you to have a bit of background information before I began. I promise, chapter one will be up before you know it. Hope you like the little information I've given so far!**

**For now, this is M, just in case.**

**Reviews are always welcome and requested!**


	2. Moving Day

**Readers! Hello! **

**Happy New Years! I hope all of you had a wonderful 2010, and that 2011 is even better. **

**I'm so sorry that I haven't updated sooner! I only have the excuse of computer troubles. I hope you enjoy, and the M chapters will come later, I'll keep things cheerful for now. =)**

**Note: I have no idea what Brown University is like. Please ignore anything that is not true about the actual school.**

•••••

Moving Day.

Thank god Brown allowed its students to move in week before classes actually began. I don't think I could have survived another day in L.A.

Mom left a couple years ago, when she finally decided she couldn't handle dad's workaholic lifestyle. She promised she'd visit me before she ran off and got hitched in Las Vegas to some rich snob. I hadn't seen her since.

My dad had thrown me a huge going away party, well, his assistant had. They'd invited the usual guests, everyone who I would refer to as a friend, and then others who would be good for publicity. He'd even hinted to the press about it, because he "wanted everyone to see his gorgeous girl one last time before she left." I'd gone along with it, allowing my personal stylist to pick out an outrageously short dress and cake my face with make up. His assistant, Angela, had insisted that I wait for everyone to arrive before making my slow descent down the staircase. I'd been the perfect host, making all the necessary rounds to each and every one of my guests. Plenty of alcohol and entertainment had been supplied, who cared if everyone was underage? The next day he'd said a quick goodbye, and, after making me promise to call him as soon as I landed, dashed out to another board meeting.

A limo had been waiting for me when I landed at Logan Airport. It was so typical of Randall Edwards, to get me a completely impractical car, just so I could travel in style. Like I needed any more attention. I gave the chauffeur a healthy tip after he kindly helped me bring up all my boxes.

The second he left I began unloading the contents of the boxes. I couldn't stand a messy room. I found a place for everything, and sat down on my double bed. I stayed on that bed for a good twenty minutes, admiring my surroundings. My room was big, about the size of your average shared dorm room. Of course, I had requested to live by myself, so that must have been my dad's doing. Two dressers, a bureau, a tall bookcase, a desk with a swivel chair, a couch, an armchair, a small closet, and a double bed made up my 'humble abode'. Almost all of the furniture was new, as I wanted as little of a reminder of home as possible.

I'd been admiring the view out my window – a beautiful courtyard filled with red tulips – when I heard a sharp knock on the door. I crossed the room and opened the door to reveal a girl, three suitcases in hand, clad in a tank top, short skirt, and incredibly high heels.

"Hi!" She said, in a tone that was a bit too perky for my liking, "Are you my new roomie?"

"I think you have the wrong room, I requested a single. There's only one bed here."

"Huh, they assigned me room 206 though, and unless the door's lying..." She paused for a split second, "Oh my god! You're Clare Edwards, aren't you? I heard you were coming to Brown, but I was sure it was just a rumor or something! I can't believe it's actually you! You're like my idol! I love your clothes and your hair and your –"

I quickly pulled her into my room. "Would you keep it down? Someone's going to hear you! I'm trying to keep it on the down low. Part of the reason I came here was because I thought people wouldn't recognize me. "

"Are you kidding me? I live off of tabloids. Some of us don't spend all day studying." She explained. "No matter how much their parents want them to." She added under her breath.

"Alright, I suppose that was irrational thinking on my part. Look, lets just go to the RA and sort this all out."

As luck would have it, every other room was already full, so I was going to have to share. They told us that they'd bring up an extra bed and desk, but we'd have to find a way to share everything else. I didn't really mind too much, I mean the main reason I didn't want a roommate was because you never know who you would end up with. I didn't want to be stuck with some crazed fan, who would watch me sleep and steal my stuff. But after her initial shock, Alli was actually pretty cool.

She'd suggested that we go out to get coffee while we waited for them to get our room ready. We went to the local coffee shop and swapped some horrific relationship stories. Alli was actually kind of funny, once you got to know her. She could be a bit obsessed with things, primarily looks and boys, but she was very nice and really smart.

I sincerely doubted that sharing a room would be a problem.

•••••

My parents had insisted on driving down with me to college.

I guess it was only fair, I mean we both knew that I wouldn't visit often. Still, I hadn't exactly pictured my entrance into the free world to be a three-day road trip filled with family sing-alongs, license plate games, and frequent stops at Burger King. My mother had recently convinced herself that she had a beautiful voice that had been wasted for many years, and so she had to belt out the words to every song that came onto the radio.

I'd wanted to take Morty, but when it became clear that he wouldn't be able to hold all my things, we rented a U-Haul and towed him along behind us. This all resulted in me being crammed between them for seventy-two very long hours.

When we finally did arrive at Brown, Bullfrog and I took turns carting my stuff up to my new room. Halfway through another trip up the stairs, I crashed into someone. I managed to maintain my balance, but the other guy wasn't as lucky, and he landed a couple steps further down.

"Shit, I'm so sorry." I quickly lowered the box I was holding and offered my hand to help him up. He grabbed onto my hand and I pulled him up.

"It's alright, man." He said, wincing, as he rubbed his lower back, "I'm just glad your stuff didn't go flying."

I smirked. "Eli."

"Adam."

"See you around then?"

"Yeah, sure."

I turned to head up the stairs and he followed a couple steps behind. He paused at the top, trying to decide which way to go.

"What's your room number?" I asked.

"Uh," He glanced down at the room key he had just received, "It's 607."

I chuckled. "I was wondering when my roommate was going to show up."

He looked up at me, surprise coating his expression. "We're roomies?" He asked. "Cool."

It didn't take long for me to finish unloading everything. I said goodbye to my parents, and they left before CeCe could start sobbing. I helped Adam finish unpacking his stuff and then chose to go to the library so he could say goodbye to his family.

•••••

"Alli?" I called out.

"Yeah Clare?" She yelled back from the bathroom. I walked over to it and saw that she was straightening her hair.

"I'm going to go check out the library. You want to come with?"

She giggled. "Yeah, not my kind of place. I'll catch up with you later."

I pulled out my campus map and followed it to the library. One of the many reasons I'd chosen Brown was because of its famous collection, and in person, it did not disappoint. I stood in the entrance, gaping at the hundreds of aisles laid out in front of me.

I subconsciously drifted forward, yearning to look through each and every page in the room. I was about to reach a collection of Wilde, when a high-pitched squeal filled my ears.

"Clare Edwards? The Clare Edwards? Oh my god! What are you doing here? I can't believe it's you! Can I, like, have your autograph? Ah! I wish I had my camera."

Shit. I turned around slowly to face my admirer, a smile plastered onto my face. "Hi, yeah, of course you can. Do you have something to sign on, and with?"

"Oh my god, Yes! I have a sharpie right here! Can you sign my arm?"

I quickly scribbled my name on her right arm and got the hell out of there. One would think that the crazed fans would have stayed in L.A. with the rest of the messed up world. I was about three aisles away when I heard another voice scream out my name. I quickly turned around a corner and crashed into someone.

"Shi-" They screamed out before I clamped a hand over their mouth.

"Please," I hissed, "Shut up."

His brows furrowed in confusion, but he nodded his head and allowed me to swiftly drag him down the corridor. I opened a door to a deserted room, pulled him inside, and let go of his wrist. Sighing, I sank to the floor and he came over to sit down beside me.

"You know," he started, "most people start with hello."

I laughed. "I'm not most people."

"Eli Goldsworthy." He said, and stuck out his hand.

"Goldsworthy?" I asked, shaking his hand, "Well isn't that an award winning name."

"Yeah," he chuckled, "You're definitely not the first person to use that line. Am I allowed to hear yours?"

"You don't know it?"

"Is there a reason I should?" He questioned, clearly confused.

"No, no of course not. It's Clare. Clare Edwards."

I couldn't believe he didn't recognize me, it seemed like everyone here did. I wasn't going to be the one to give away the big secret though.

He leaned in towards me, "So who are we running from?" He whispered in my ear.

"Nobody." I immediately replied, "I, uh, got to go." I lamely continued, standing up.

He sucked in the air between his teeth. "Harsh." He stated, also rising.

I grimaced. "Well, bye."

He smirked at me. "Goodbye Clare Edwards."

•••••

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	3. Mother Dearest

**Couldn't stop writing, so here's another chapter.**

**Longest Chapter so far! (In any of my stories)**

**I hope you appreciate Quincy, I quite like him. =)**

**Even if you didn't, tell me what you think!**

**NOTE: I do have a reason for a slow start. I want you to get to know Clare and Eli, together and seperately. I promise, things will speed up eventually. Just sit tight, it'll be worth it in the end!**

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•••••

_Mystery, a well-known provoker of curiosity, overcomes the mind with wonder.  
She was vague, intriguing, and disappeared too quickly.  
Her blue eyes lit a spark in my mind that would not fade away.  
Her voice, never above a whisper, spoke words of confusion.  
Her actions, bizarre and unexpected, left me interested and surprised.  
Oh, how I longed for more._

**Brilliant start, but similar to you, I'm looking for more.**  
**Send me a revised copy by tomorrow, and we'll revisit your grade**_._

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_

I smirked at the paper in front of me. Of course she wanted more, anyone would, if only I had more to tell.

It had been a week since I'd had met Clare. I'd seen her in a few of my classes, but I hadn't spoken to her since. She certainly knew how to capture someone's attention. I couldn't stop thinking about her. I know many would agree that our meeting was unusual to say the least. I mean for Christ's sake, she crashed into me, silenced me, dragged me into a classroom, gave me her name, and left! That would be the cause of interest for anyone.

A knock at the door made me look up. In the doorway stood a short man clad in a light blue button down, a tan vest, flared jeans, a red scarf, and a black fedora. He'd perched a pair of square glasses upon his nose and a small smile soften his expression.

"Can I help you?" Ms. Dawes asked.

"I'm looking for Clare Edwards, Ma'am."

"Clare." She said, tilting her head towards the door. All eyes followed her as she slowly made her way across the room.

I was dying to know what that was about.

•••••

Studying Eli had become a favorite pastime of mine.

We'd just gotten back our assignments and he was currently engrossed in his. A smirk appeared on his face and I instantly wanted to know what he'd written about. Something about him had me hooked. It was the way he went along with what I did, and didn't know or care who I was. Of course, his sexy smirk and gorgeous eyes didn't hurt either. Even from the brief conversation we'd had, I could tell he had a good sense of humor. So far, he was really was gold-worthy. I silently chuckled at my pun, before hearing a rapping at the door.

I recognized Quincy immediately and began to pack up my stuff, knowing that I would have to make a quick exit. I tried to draw as little attention as possible as I left, but I could feel everyone's eyes on me.

I waited until he'd shut the door behind me before greeting him. "Quincy!" I cried, "What are you doing here?"

We kissed each other on both cheeks. "Darling! You look fantastic!" He replied, eyeing my grey skinny jean and red v-neck ensemble. He paused for a couple seconds, glancing into my eyes, never a good sign.

I sighed, "What is it, Quincy? Just tell me."

"Guilty as charged." He said, raising his arms, "I'm sorry, honey, but as you've already guessed, I'm here on Randall's orders. You have a potential new mommy to meet. He's flown her out for dinner tonight, and requested that I dress you for the occasion, though I doubt you'll need my help. Look at you! I've taught you well."

I groaned. Would the madness ever end? I'd thought it was bad enough with half the campus obsessing over me, but my dad had just put me in the fast lane to the insane asylum. Ever since mom had gone, he'd tried to fill her place, always insisting that this was the one before kicking her to the curb. This was his sixth possible wife in the past three years, and every single one had only survived one dinner with me prior to a quick breakup that usually left her heartbroken.

"Lead me to your lair." I half-heartedly joked.

* * *

I was lead back to my own dorm room, and before I could even ask how they'd gotten in, Alli had already answered the question.

"Clare! Living with you is like being a celebrity! I come back from calculus and see your very own personal stylist waiting to be let in! So of course I do, and oh my god these clothes are gorgeous! Can I borrow?"

I laughed at her giddiness. "Of course, Alli. Want to try some on?"

"Really, Can I? You are the most amazing person in the Universe, Clare, thank you!"

We spent almost an hour putting on outfit after outfit until finally Quincy decided one was good enough. I'd always hated the process, but Alli seemed to be having the time of her life. I didn't want to end her fun, so I invited her along. After a lot of squealing, I'd managed to convince her that she couldn't make the night any worse, if not better.

She almost died when she learned that Quincy would do our makeup and absorbed each and every tip he dished out like she was a sponge. But by the end of the night, I had to hand it to Quincy; he always knew exactly what to do.

Alli was rocking a knee-length black strapless, red pumps, and a red shawl. Her eyes were covered with a smoky grey color, her lips were coated with a deep red, and her cheeks were dusted with a pale pink blush.

In contrast, I had on a pale blue dress and a pair of white flats. I had a thin coat of silver shadow on my lids and a pink gloss on my lips. I blushed too much already, so nothing had been applied to my cheeks. My old stylist never took my opinion into account, so most of the world had only seen me in slutty attire. I mean, just because clothes weren't my biggest topic of interest, didn't mean I didn't have a style. When I'd found Quincy, I'd immediately pleaded with my father to hire him, and of course I'd gotten my way.

"Quincy, I swear, you've outdone yourself!"

"Thank you so much!" Alli cried.

"It was nothing, girls. You two look stunning no matter what, I just added a little Quincy touch."

"And it was exactly what we needed." I praised.

"Knock them dead, Clare." He grinned, before shooing us out the door.

"Ready to step into my world, Alli?"

"Bring it." She giggled.

•••••

"Dude! You are so out of it!" Adam cried, pulling me out of my thoughts of Clare.

"Sorry, I'm just distracted. What were you saying?"

"It's not important, what's got you so twisted?"

I chuckled, Adam's word choice were a constant source of entertainment. "Would it be cliché of me to say a girl?"

Adam grinned, "Who's the lucky lady?"

"Her name's Clare, she's another English major, who took me hostage one day. I haven't stopped thinking of her since."

"I don't even want to know about the kidnapping, but dude, you've got it bad."

I sneered, "Yeah, right now I do. Look I'm going for a walk. Clear my head."

"See you later."

* * *

It was already dark when I went outside, and I decided to venture off campus. I was walking along a fairly busy street when a coffee shop caught my eye. The sign read 'The Dot' and it didn't seem too busy so I went inside. I ordered a coffee, black, and took a window seat. I'd been there for about twenty minutes, observing the outside world, when I suddenly spotted Clare walking down the road, talking to another girl. I nearly spit out my drink it surprise; she was breathtaking.

Even from afar, I could see that the blue of her dress went perfectly with her eyes. Her outfit was sweet, unlike her friend's, and I preferred it so much more. She was talking animatedly, and the other girl was laughing at her words. Of course, I was curious. What was she talking about? Why was she out and about? Who was her friend? She glanced towards me, and then at her friend, and when she quickly looked back again, an unreadable look on her face, my heart almost stopped.

She stopped suddenly, staring at me. Part of me wanted to look away, part of me didn't, and all of me couldn't. Before I could even register what was going on, she was waving her friend along, who looked quickly in my direction and flounced off, grinning. She slowly walked over to the door and pulled it open, heading straight for the counter. I heard her order a glass of tap water, and nothing else. She thanked the man, and paid him an unnecessary tip before spinning on the spot and walking towards me. Her small black purse swung as she walked, and her curls bounced around her radiant face.

"Well I've had a shitty night." She stated, sliding into the booth. "Distract me?"

I stared for a second, half in shock, half in admiration.

Before things became awkward, I cleared my throat. "Did you know that Maine is the only state in the U.S. that has one syllable?" I blurted out.

Holy fuck. What was that?

•••••

Of course, the night had been a disaster.

The second I saw her, I knew we were in trouble. Long platinum blonde hair that fell across her noticeably fake breasts, coupled with a blindingly white smile. _Crystal_ was no different from the others.

Alli and I survived about an hour of her, before she crossed the line. But when she casually showed me the new ring she'd found in my room and refused to give it back after I politely asked for it, all hell broke loose. We left the restaurant quickly, choosing to walk back to the dorms. I'd been doing a pretty darn good impression of 'mommy dearest' when I spotted him. At first I didn't even realize who it was, but at a second glance I stopped. Our eyes met, and we stared at each other for what felt like eternity. I muttered some nonsense excuse to Alli, and she thankfully understood after following my gaze.

"Good luck!" She squealed, before bouncing off, beaming.

I walked straight to the counter, trying to figure out what I was doing.

"Water, please." I ordered, doubting I could stomach anything else. It was free from the tap, but I left a little something in the tip bar. I slowly made my way over to him, grinning at his puzzled expression. All of a sudden I was sitting down and asking him to divert me from my awful night. He looked at me, perplexed, and I could hardly blame him. I inwardly cursed myself.

I looked up when he coughed. "Did you know that Maine is the only state in the U.S. that has one syllable?" He quickly said. His eye's widened, as if shocked at his own words. He bowed his head, embarrassed.

I burst into laughter; the whole situation was hilarious. He gaped up at me for a moment, still slightly horrified, but his expression quickly softened and a chuckle built up in his throat.

I could feel the presence of the customers' stares on us as we cackled like mad men. We must have been quite a sight; two strangers looking intently into each other's eyes, gasping for breathe.

We slowly gained back our sanity and stayed there, smiling, curious, and confused.

"Clare," Eli whispered, leaning in. "Who are you?"

•••••

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	4. Five things you didn't know about Clare

**Happy Friday =)  
Hope all of you have a lovely weekend! I'll be spending mine preparing for midterms... **

**Again, anything that I have mentioned in this story that exists in reality is not mine, no matter how much I'd like to think it is.**

**Now please, grab a cookie, sit back, and enjoy.**

•••••

I could tell that she took pure delight in keeping an air of mystery.

After I asked who she was, her eyes widened, startled by both my question and our close proximity.

She tried to cover up for her slip-up, by shrugging and muttering, "What does it matter?" She'd quickly sunk back in her seat and taken a long sip of her water. I rested my head against the back of the booth, matching her position.

"It doesn't," I agreed, "but a guy can't help but be curious."

She chuckled, amused by something unbeknownst to me. "Patience is a virtue."

"Twenty Questions?" I implored.

She eyed me for a second. "Five. No personal ones allowed, and I'm allowed to refuse to answer. Oh, and I get to ask you too."

"Deal." I said, already having a question in mind. "What was your first impression of me?"

She blinked, taken aback once more. I really enjoyed surprising her.

"Smooth." She blurted out.

I coughed on my coffee, and promptly cleared my throat. "Care to elaborate?"

She pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them, her lips twitching in what I thought was a hint of a smile. "Well, the way you handled the situation, I guess. I mean I'm willing to bet that you don't have strangers silence you before dragging you into a classroom on a daily bases. You didn't even appear shocked, and you played it off like it was nothing – something I wasn't expecting."

I chuckled, "Well your actions weren't exactly expected either." A blush covered her gorgeous face, causing me to smirk.

"Well Mr. Goldsworthy, I do believe it's my turn."

I gulped, anxiously awaiting her question. "English major, Brown University, why?"

"You know I really love your ability to combine two different questions into one. Very sneaky Edwards."

She grinned, clearly waiting for my answer.

"As for the major, writing is my escape; a way to let it all out, build my own world, create a work of art. Whatever I want, under my control. It's really quite unfair how wonderful it is. Brown was simple. I wanted it to be far, but not too far, away, the United States seemed like the perfect choice. Liberal arts was always for me, and Brown was my top choice. I applied early, and got in with a full scholarship, and here we are now."

She'd listened intently, genuinely interested, throughout my entire rant.

"So where are you from, then?" She ventured.

"Are you sure you want to make that your second question, Clare?"

"What? Oh come on!" She cried.

"You made the rules, not me!" I replied, grinning.

She scowled at me, and I raised my eyebrows in response.

•••••

"I know, I know. It was a really stupid mistake." I tried to justify, blushing scarlet. Eli was laughing so hard that he was about to fall out of his seat. "Eli!" I cried, swatting at his arm, "Stop!"

"Okay, Okay." He said, gasping for breath, "I just can't believe you did that."

"Yeah it wasn't my finest moment." I murmured when he finally composed himself. "Alright, final question."

He got to ask the last one, because he'd insisted that mine was another one. Smart-Ass.

He took a deep breath. "Clare Edwards," he spoke, "Will you go out with me?"

Not exactly the question I was anticipating.

I looked at him. He was waiting, staring straight into my eyes. That was hardly fair! His eyes were so mesmerizing, how could I say no? So I didn't.

"Uh, y-yeah, sure." I stammered.

Smooth, Clare, really smooth. I'd have to take some tips from him.

"Great, I'll walk you back." He stated. Something about the way he didn't ask, just presumed, made me grin.

"Lead the way."

* * *

The walk back to the dorms was quiet, the two of us slightly embarrassed. We talked occasionally, but mostly enjoyed each other's presence. At some point I'd started to shiver and I soon felt the presences of his leather jacket over my shoulders. I'd thanked him and received an adorable smile in return.

When we arrived at my building, I'd started to shrug the jacket off, but he placed his hands on my shoulders. "Keep it, you might need it if you get cold again. I'll see you in English." With a quick kiss on my cheek, he was gone.

I watched him walk away for a few seconds before heading up to my room. The instant I opened the door, a high-pitched shriek filled the room, scaring me to death. Suddenly I was being dragged by my wrist and forced onto the couch.

"Tell me _everything!_" Alli squealed, plopping down on the chair across from me.

"What do you want to know?" I stalled.

"Every little detail! What's his name? How did you meet? When did you meet? Where did you meet? Does he go to school here? What's his major? Is he even in college? Oh my god! How old is he? Are you dating an older man, Clare? Are you even dating? Please tell me your dating! He so wants to date you. I can tell by the way he was staring at you, and that was only after five seconds of glancing at him! When do I get to meet him? Does he have a bro—"

"Alli!" I shrieked.

She grinned sheepishly. "Well?"

•••••

"Wait a second. So for the past three years you've been in and out of therapy because you haven't been able to get over your dead ex-girlfriend. You've tried drinking, smoking, and cutting but they all made it worse. You lost interest and with that your friends, so you accepted this and distanced yourself further. You put all your energy into your writing and earned a full scholarship to this school. Out of the blue, this girl, whom you've only met twice, has captured your full attention and you've never, ever felt happier in your life."

"Well when you put it that way, I sound like a mental case. But, yeah, that's pretty much it."

Adam stared at me, dumbfounded. I stared back, allowing him to process.

"What's her name anyway?"

"Clare," I said, grinning, "Clare Edwards."

Adam eyes bulged before he broke into hysterics. "Y-y-you d-dating C-Clare E-Edwards?" He cried in between laughs, "Y-yeah right. V-very funny, E-Eli."

"Want to let me in on the joke?" I questioned as his laughter died down.

He quickly composed himself. "Are you serious? You don't know?"

"Uh, not really." I sighed.

He sprinted out of the room, returning moments later with his laptop. He practically landed on my lap trying to jump onto the couch next to me. I watched carefully as he yanked it open and furiously typed _Clare Edwards_ into the Google search bar.

A thousand pictures of her appeared before my eyes. There she was in a skimpy, almost see through dress on a red carpet at premier of the latest Bond film. Another showed her leaving a restaurant in a knee length black dress and dark red lipstick, surrounded by bodyguards. There was one of her walking the sunny streets of California, toting at least five different shopping bags. Someone had even caught her in the passenger seat of a silver Cadillac with her hand out, as if to prevent the photographer from seeing her face.

Who was this girl?

•••••

**I would love you a gazillion times more if you reviewed! **


	5. Scandalous

**Hiya everyone!**

**Hope you don't mind me fast forwarding a bit or that this chapter focuses a bit more on Clare than Eli, but it was necessary.**

**Next chapter will be M for a lot of violence and language. Please do not read if you do not think you can handle it. **

**I don't own anything, and it may not be entirely accurate, but you don't mind pretending, do you? =)**

**Please review, even if you already have before, it makes me so much happier!**

**Read, I insist, it's the longest one yet! Enjoy!**

•••••

"Alright, I think that's everything." He said, setting the last suitcase on the ground.

"Thank you so much for driving me."

"Of course, Edwards. I knew you'd want to spend as much precious time as possible with me." He replied, smirking.

"Don't flatter yourself." I murmured, leaning in for a quick kiss. I felt his arms snake around my waist, pulling me into him. "Eli," I muttered, before he kissed me again. I brought my hands up towards his chest, giving him a small push, "Eli, I –" He quickly pulled me close again, silencing me with his lips. I groaned, pushing away again. "Eli! I have to go! I'll miss my flight!"

"Then don't go." He suggested.

"Believe me, I wouldn't if I had the choice."

"Randall Edwards." He grumbled, "That man is going to get a piece of my mind."

"Yeah, you get right on that. In the meantime, I have a plane to catch. I'll call you when I land."

He smiled at me. "I'll be waiting."

I kissed him one last time before grabbing the handles of my two suitcases and heading through security. When I'd finally put on my shoes again, I turned to wave at him one last time. I saw him grin, raise his hand, and mouth a "goodbye."

I slowly walked past the overpriced luggage stores and restaurants, until I came upon a newspaper stand. I skimmed over the selection of magazines and was shocked to see my father's face covering almost all of them. I grabbed a copy of the Times and stared down at the caption printed before me. _Latest Scandal! Randall Edwards is being sued for millions! Full story on page 52. _I gaped at the page, furious.

"Uh, I'll take a copy of this, please." I requested, placing the magazine down on the counter. I quickly reached for a candy bar, "Oh, and one of these."

He gave me a quick smile and rang up my items. "Is there anything else you would like, ma'am?"

"No, thanks."

I hurried towards my gate, which was a much longer walk than I expected. I had just sat down in an available seat when they announced that they were boarding for my flight. I sighed, closing the magazine before I had even read a sentence. I walked up to where they were scanning the first class passenger's tickets.

"Passport ma'am?"

"Oh, shit, sorry. One second." I had completely forgotten to take it out. I frantically scurried through my bag and yanked it out. "Here it is, sorry."

"Its alright ma'am." He said, unsuccessfully hiding the annoyance in his tone.

I hastened down the ramp, murmuring a quick greeting to the flight attendant, and shoved my suitcase in the compartment. I sat down in my seat and instantly pulled out the magazine.

In my mad rush to find the page, I failed to notice the figure looming over me. The stranger cleared his throat, causing me to glance up. He appeared taken aback, and I realized that my expression was slightly crazed.

"Oh, God. I'm so sorry. Do you need to get past?"

"Well, I don't mind, I was enjoying watching your mad rush. I don't think I've ever seen a woman quite so anxious about the newest tabloid. However, the people behind me seem to have a minimal patience level." He replied, smirking.

"Gee, thanks," I said, sarcasm smothering my tone. I shut the magazine, again, and stood up to let him through.

"My name's Declan Coyne." He said, after we'd both sat down.

"Cla—" I began, before he cut me off, informing me that he already knew who I was. This boy needed to be taught a thing or two about first impressions. "Now if you'll excuse me, I do need to read this."

"By all means." He replied, his smirk growing larger.

I calmly turned to page 52 and an enormous picture of my handcuffed father appeared before my eyes.

* * *

_**Millionaire Steals Millions More**_

_Randall Edwards, renowned CEO, has really done it this time. On a recent trip to China, Edwards intended to meet up with former colleagues to discuss a new partnership, or so he tells the press. Sources have leaked that Edwards indeed met up with the associates, but the arrangement was not as black and white as he would like. Liam Nelson, who was not present at the meeting, claims that Randall stole the invaluable idea from him, and was therefore scammed out of millions. He continues on to inform us how Edwards neither needs nor deserves the money and therefore he has every right to sue. Until proven otherwise, Edwards has been assumed guilty and has been taken into custody. We have yet to hear from his daughter, Clare, who has not been seen for several months. Rumor has it that she has left Los Angeles for University, but no one knows how she's handled the situation. We hope to –_

_

* * *

_

I stopped reading after that, as I had all the information that I needed. Of course no one knew what I thought about the accusation, I didn't even know he'd been accused. I was absolutely furious. I slammed the magazine shut and shoved it back in my bag, tearing it in the process.

Declan pulled an ear bud out of his ear. "Did someone take a bad picture of you or something?" He asked.

"No!" I squeaked, shocked as hot, angry tears came pouring down my cheeks.

He quickly yanked out the other ear bud, his expression now concerned. "Hey, hey. What is it? What's wrong?"

All of a sudden, I was ranting my entire life story to a perfect stranger.

•••••

"Adam, she hasn't called!" I grumbled, "What if something went wrong?"

I was seriously beginning to worry now. Clare rarely ever forgot anything, so something must have caused this neglected call.

"Maybe she's already met someone new and just doesn't know how to break it to you." He joked.

I threw a pillow at him.

Adam had met Clare a couple months back, on our sixth date. He wasted no time telling her every little fault he knew about me. He'd said he wanted her to know what she was getting herself into.

Clare told me she didn't care, and she meant it too. That was one of the many things I liked about her, she looked past the bad stuff, as long as there was good underneath. We'd been dating for four months now, and I'd finally convinced her to become my girlfriend two weeks ago. That was the one problem with us; I liked her more than she liked me. She had problems with commitment because she never knew if someone liked her for who she was or who her father was. I constantly reminded her that I'd liked her before I'd known who she was, but she was still convinced that it wasn't true.

She was perfect; intellectual, kind, adventurous but cautious, daring yet innocent, not to mention gorgeous. I found myself constantly thinking about her, especially now that her father had forced her to come back to Los Angeles for the entire winter break. She asked me to come with her, but I doubted I could survive California.

I didn't quite no what to think about her fame. I never thought I'd be dating a millionaire's daughter, but I can't exactly complain. There had been occasional crazed fans coming up to her, screaming, but the media hadn't managed to find her yet. I really only worried that I wasn't good enough for her.

A pillow slammed into my face, drawing me back into reality. Adam had returned the favor. He laughed at my alarmed expression before walking over to the door. "Meeting Fiona, don't wait up." He said, before closing the door behind him.

Although Adam and I had both opted not to visit our families during break, he was going to spend most of his with his new girlfriend. He met Fiona a month ago at a fundraiser of some kind. Apparently, they were both volunteering in order to complete their community service hours. Adam told me he was done for the second he saw her. She was definitely pretty, with her long brown curls and crystal blue eyes, but not nearly as lovely as Clare. Still, she made Adam happy, and was nice enough. We'd managed to keep up some pretty good conversations when we'd met up.

I sighed and grabbed my phone, scrolling to Clare's name. I pressed call and held the phone up to my ear. One, two, three, four rings and then her voicemail came on. "_Hi, you've reached Clare's phone. Sorry I can't talk right now, but if you leave a message I'll get back as soon as I can."_ I waited patiently for the beep.

"Hey Edwards. Just calling to see how daddy's doing. I hope your flight was okay. Call me."

I snapped my phone shut and tossed it onto the couch, before reaching for my laptop. I opened up Safari and got taken straight to my homepage, the CNN website. I gawked at the first headline. _Randall Edwards is being sued for millions!_ I clicked on the link and quickly skimmed the article.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit. Of course Clare hadn't called, she probably just found out. Oh God, and what had I just said. _Just calling to see how daddy's doing._ Shit. I have to call her again. I lunged for my phone and pressed the redial button. I anxiously waited for the voicemail again.

"Clare, I'm so sorry. I just found out. Take all the time you need. I'm here if you need me."

I groaned, leaning back into the couch. This was the last thing she needed.

•••••

"Thank you," I said as Declan unloaded the last of my suitcases off the baggage claim, "for everything."

"Of course, Clare. You have my number if you need anything, ever."

I smiled at him, before turning towards the exit. I walked past the gates to the waiting area, where I saw Angela standing there, an impatient look on her face. I marched up to her, steaming.

"How could you not tell me?" I yelled.

"Oh, good, so you've heard." she droned, "We didn't want it getting out, obviously. Unfortunately, Liam seems incapable of keeping his mouth shut." She turned on her heel and strode towards the doors.

I stomped after her, about to demand further explanation, when I was greeted with a thousand flashing cameras. Oh my paparazzi friends, how I have missed you.

"Clare—"

"Ms. Edwards—"

"Where have you be—"

What's your opinion on—"

"How have you been handling the—"

"Will you tell us anyth—"

Seven different microphones were shoved in my face. "No comment." I stated, wishing they'd give me a break. Angela was already thirty steps ahead, and would not appreciate delay. "Excuse me." I said, pushing past them.

They trailed me all the way to Angela's pink mini cooper, flashing their cameras the whole time. I kept my head high and plastered a smile on my face. They would not get a bad picture of me today.

* * *

My house was filled with snotty, uptight lawyers, who seemed to take pleasure in treating me life a five-year-old. I was so claustrophobic that I could barely breathe. When no one was looking, I inconspicuously slipped out to the garage and got into my silver Cadillac. I drove for a while, not knowing where I was or where I was going. At some point I'd gotten on the highway, and I was cruising down Route 56 when I first spotted the three black SUVs. Not wanting to stray too far from home, I took the next exit, and they followed. I almost smiled at the irony of three identical cars, all headed in the same direction.

I was on an almost deserted lane, not a house in sight. I was taking my time, but I definitely wasn't going too slowly, so I was surprised when one of the cars sped up to overtake me. Crazy drivers. People were always in a hurry; they never had any time for anything.

The SUV had gotten about fifty feet in front of me when it suddenly came to a stop. I slammed on my breaks, only narrowly avoiding hitting it. I sat there, breathless, and scared out of my mind. The second SUV pulled up next to me and the driver got out of the car.

He walked over and tapped on my window, a reassuring smile on his face. I opened the door and shakily got to my feet.

"Are you okay, Miss?"

"Y-yes. Just shocked." I replied, smiling wearily.

"Good." He stated.

Then, everything went black.

•••••

**R-E-V-I-E-W, P-L-E-A-S-E! Pshh, I can spell, but I think you know what I mean.**


	6. Save Me

**I apologize for the delay! Midterms took over my life. BUT, it's the longest one yet. So I'm hoping that makes up for it. Forgive me?**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I have not suddenly gained possession of Degrassi. This story, is however mine. **

**Welcome to the first major M chapter. It isn't pretty. So stop reading if you wish. Don't say I didn't warn you. **

**Side note: I have no idea what Los Angeles, celebrity maps, or LAX airport are like, so if my story doesn't match up with reality, please ignore.**

**True fact: Reviewers make the world a better place. =)**

**Read on My friends!**

•••••

I threw the book across the room in anger. I had read the same sentence five times, and had no hope of concentrating. Clare still hadn't called, nor had she picked up the past fifteen times I had contacted her. It had been two days now, and I was trying to understand what she must have been going through, but it was killing me not knowing how she was feeling. I wanted her to know that I was here for her, and that she could talk to me, but I sensed she didn't feel like talking.

I'd tried going for a walk yesterday, to distract myself, but I ended up at the Dot, where I'd sat in the same booth where I first asked her out. I'd gone home and crashed early, only to wake up at some ghastly hour this morning. I didn't even bother to revive Adam; he was anything but a morning person. Instead, I'd gone for a jog, which had turned into a three-mile sprint away from reminders. For a while, I didn't think about Clare, but the second I got back to the dorms, my mind was on her once more. I suppose it was hard not to focus on your girlfriend's millionaire father being sued and arrested when you had absolutely nothing to do for a month.

The sound of my phone drew me out of my thoughts of Clare. I lunged for the phone, knocking over my water bottle in the process. "Fuck" I growled, as water soaked my shirt. My heart sank when I saw that it was Adam who was calling.

"Hello?"

"Eli, dude, have—"

"Adam, hey! Please tell me you're done with that science thing, I'm dying of boredom here."

"What? Oh, yeah that finished ages ago. But, Eli, have you—"

"You're done? Sweet! Come entertain me. We can watch a marathon of the Saw movies."

"Eli—"

"Come on, Adam! I promise I'll bring popcorn!"

"Eli!" he yelled.

"Sorry, sorry. What is it?"

"Have you checked the news lately?"

"No, why? Was Randall released?"

"It's Clare. She... she's gone missing."

My mind went blank, my heart dropped like a stone, and somewhere far, far away I could hear the sound of a phone thudding to the ground.

•••••

I groaned, not wanting to open my eyes. Something told me it was way to early to be waking up, but a throbbing behind my right ear prevented me from further sleep. I rolled over to my back, yelping when my entire body protested. My lids fluttered open and I was momentarily blinded by the sun. I moved my head to the right so the rays of light wouldn't reach my eyes. I looked around, alarmed to see that I had no idea where I was.

Four pitch-black walls surrounded me, with a small window at the top of the one facing me, and a steel door to my right. A tall, wooden stool sat in the corner next to a cardboard box. Beneath me lay an itchy, worn, grey mat. My head was still pounding and it hurt to think, I couldn't even begin to imagine what had happened.

I was about to accept my predicament and attempt to sleep once more when I saw my body out of the corner of my eye. My expression turned horror struck as I stared down at myself. I'd somehow ended up in my undergarments only, giving me a good view of my entire body.

Every single inch of my skin was coated in yellow and purple splotches, only to be disrupted by deep bloody gashes that were only just beginning to heel. My foot… well, my foot shouldn't bend that way. I spotted a gash near my lower thigh so deep that I could see the distinct white of bone. I promptly turned to the side and threw up. When I finally finished vomiting, I burst into tears. I was tired, cold, dizzy, and clueless.

I felt like I was five years old again, and it was the day my father had fought with my mother again. It was the same day I had decided to be a little brat, and had talked back to my father. It was also the day he'd finally lost his temper and struck me full on the cheek. It was the first time I'd felt vulnerable and lost. I'd realized, then, that the world was not as perfect as my parents pretended it was. I didn't want to be five, and I didn't want to be scared or unsure. I wanted to know what was going on, I wanted the pain to go away.

I needed someone. I needed help. I needed to wake up. I needed it to stop. I needed to know what was happening.

"Please." I whispered, as another sob shook my body. "Please!" I shrieked, hysterical.

The door banged open, and a masked man entered the room with his gun pointed straight at me.

•••••

"Eli! You haven't thought this through! I mean, what are you planning on doing once you get there?" Adam yelled, trying to knock some sense into me.

"I don't know, Adam, but I have to try!"

After my initial shock, I'd ran straight to the bedroom and dragged my duffel bag out of the back of the closet. Adam had come home in the middle of my mad dash. He'd walked into my room to find me running around, grabbing whatever necessities I could find while I argued about a last minute ticket over the phone.

He'd tried to reason with me, explaining that I didn't even know where Clare lived. I didn't want to hear it. Clare. My Clare was gone. I couldn't just sit here, depressed and unaware. I was going to find her, no matter what. Adam just didn't understand. I needed her back in my arms where she belonged. However, I did bargain with Adam, and allowed him to drive me to the airport.

"Take it, Eli."

"No! I can't. Keep it!" I growled, frustrated and impatient.

"Eli, I won't take no for an answer. We both know I don't need it, and you will. Just take the damn money!"

I sighed, and grabbed the wad of cash, shoving it into my carry on. "Uh, thanks. Really, I owe you."

He smiled at me, "Keep me posted, okay?"

"Yeah, of course."

I grabbed my duffle out of the backseat and headed into the airport. I groaned when I saw the endless line of people waiting to be checked in. When I saw a family of six heading for the same line I was, I made a beeline for it, getting there seconds before them. The already stressed father glowered in my direction and I smirked at my victory. The success was short lived, however, as one of his kids hit another, causing her to burst into tears. I sighed as high-pitched cries supplied the background music of my ten-minute wait.

I finally arrived at the desk, where a perky blonde attendant smiled at me.

"Hello Sir!" She exclaimed, "Where will you be flying today?"

"Los Angeles." I mumbled, already annoyed at how vivacious she was acting. I handed over my passport, watching as she scanned it.

"Oh! Going to play with the big dogs are we? Get some autographs for me, will ya?"

"Yeah, something I like that." I replied, my thoughts trailing back to Clare and her father.

"Well, I'm sure you'll have a marvelous time."

I almost laughed.

•••••

Its funny how right when you need it the most, sleep never seems to come. I lay on the mat, staring at the cracks in the black wall, tears dripping down my face. I didn't understand. How had this happened? Why me?

I thought my heart had stopped when I saw the gun aimed at me. I'd stared in horror as he'd turned towards the door and yelled something in another language. I'd only ever studied French, and it definitely wasn't that. Suddenly three others came rushing in, each with a gun in hand. Sheer terror clouded my mind and a shriek escaped my lips.

"P-P-Please." I begged, speaking louder than I intended, "Please d-don't hurt me."

The tallest man's eye's narrowed and he barked an order to another who quickly clamped his hand over my mouth, silencing my pleas.

Harsh words poured from the tall man's mouth and he aimed a kick and my broken foot. My muffled scream filled the room and my vision blurred with pain. He repeated his words again, louder than before. I shook my head, desperately trying to convey that I did not understand."

He snapped another command at the man behind me who quickly removed his hand. I quivered as he crouched down in front of me, his face inches from mine.

"Where is the money?" He demanded with a heavy accent.

Realization hit me like a train.

My dad. This was all my dad. I was-I was ransom? Bribery? I was in hell, because of my father's greed. After all these years of putting up with everything, this is how I'm repaid. I couldn't believe that bastard. He was nothing, absolutely nothing to me.

"Well?" He asked, impatiently.

"I-I don't know." I whispered, "Please, I really don't know."

He hit me, hard, and the taste of blood filled my mouth.

"Where is it?" He screamed.

I shook my head frantically. "I don't know! I don't! You have to believe me!"

He spat at me and marched out of the room.

•••••

I thought that I was going to have trouble finding the Randall residence, but the second I exited the airport I spotted at least ten different people trying to sell maps to the celebrity houses. I headed towards the closest one. Behind a stand stood a chubby middle-aged man a reseeding hairline.

"Excellent sale today, sir. Only fifteen dollars." He grinned at me, a golden filling sparkling in the sunlight.

I eyed his Hawaiian print shirt and greasy grey hair. "Are these things genuine?" I asked, doubting I'd believe him anyway.

"One hundred percent." He insisted, glancing down at my wallet.

I sighed and pulled out a twenty. Better this than nothing at all. He quickly snatched the twenty out of my hands and was much more reluctant to hand over my five dollar change.

I strolled over to a nearby bench and unfolded the map, carefully scanning for the star with Randall Edwards scrawled over it. I spotted it in between Eddie Murphy's mansion and Madonna's mansion. Uh, wow? Not too shabby. I wonder if Clare ever babysat for their kids. Clare—

I stood up abruptly, snapping the map shut in the process. I marched over to the line of cabs that were waiting for new arrivals. I hopped in the first one and gave him the address.

"Tourists." He scoffed.

I'd expected big, heck, I'd expected huge, but this was fucking gigantic.

* * *

A ten-foot tall iron gate stood in front of me, but the intimidation didn't stop there. Approximately five hundred feet beyond the gate stood their mansion. Four pure white pillars surrounded the front door. The entire house was made of white marble and I could just make out a gold design glistening in the sun.

In the middle of their circular driveway was a flawless garden. The unrealistically green grass surrounded thousands of red and white tulips, and in the middle of it all was a fountain with a statue of a little girl. I squinted a bit and realized that the figure was a younger Clare. She wore a simple dress and a dazzling smile. The artist had portrayed her perfectly, I even though I could detect a glint of mischief in her eyes.

I gazed up at the little girl, praying that she was okay.

I sighed and slowly made my way over to their doorbell. I'd never seen such a high tech call button before, but I figured that the big white button was my best bet.

"Tourists are not permitted on the premises. You may take pictures from outside the gate, please do not loiter. Have a nice day." A tired voice droned through the speaker.

I quickly pressed the button again. "I'm not a tourist, sir." I said, hesitating for a second, "I'm, uh, here to speak with Randall Edwards. Its concerning his daughter."

"The paparazzi have to schedule an appointment prior to their interview. Please come back later at an pre-arranged time." He recited.

Once again, pushed the button. "Sir, I'm not here for that. I'm, uh," I cleared my throat, "I'm Clare's boyfriend."

"Please hold."

•••••

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